The Demise of the Line
by CMW2
Summary: The way I think that B/B and TPTB should get rid of a big pink elephant skeleton in the room:The Line; B/B banter and lovemaking with a smidgen of Hodgela; 10th in my 2010 SSS Project


**Author's Note: Hi, everyone. Now that I have a little more time on my hands and the temperatures are warmer, I want to put up a new oneshot. **

**I am a Booth and Brennan shipper. I have been a Booth and Brennan shipper since the first second I turned on BONES. The only problem that I have with them is that due to numerous calamitous events ( The Goddamned **_**Line**_**, Sully, Cam, Perotta, Hacker, bullets, cannibals, comas, and Sweets being an interfering jackass to name a few) is that they are not together. This little ditty here is my own version of rectifying that situation.**

**Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"**

She had a date tonight.

She didn't outright say so but he could tell. She was checking her watch more often and she had done something new with her hair. It was loosely curled and sweet smelling, like apple pie and just pure Brennan. His biggest hint was the sympathetic and chiding looks he kept getting from Angela. "I'm sorry, Booth. I'm sorry that she's going out with another man but hey, it's not all her fault. If you'd just grow a pair…" Yeah, thanks Angela. Thanks for the reminder of what his own stupid actions had gotten him. He had pushed her away, fucked an ex, and drawn a line, causing her to seek companionship elsewhere.

It didn't escape him that most of the bullshit that went down with the clown and Sully could've been avoided if he had given into the impulse to draw her into his arms after Howard Eppes hit the concrete. He had fallen for her hard. To be honest, as soon as she boldly challenged him to "Be a cop", he was done for. He was ass over heels for Temperance Brennan, FBI regulations and logic be damned….and he fucked it up.

Seeley Booth felt like a class-A prick, a class-A shortsighted, overly noble prick.

"So, do you have any plans tonight, Bones?" he asked as he rolled past the Mall, noting how the setting sun set off the marble of the Washington Monument…and her skin.

"Angela and I are going dancing. I have writer's block and she said that a little glug, glug woo-hoo would help. I don't think so but it'll be good to spend some time with her without a body involved." she replied as she put in a pair of dangly blue earrings, setting off the grey bluish-green of her eyes.

He had no right to feel relieved that she hadn't mentioned a man and that the "hints" were just his paranoia talking. Really, he didn't…

"She also wants me to meet a friend of hers. When I asked who, she told me it was a surprise so I have to assume that it's a man. After all, she has been setting me up with someone for the past few weeks. Perhaps, this one will hold my interest."

Hurt laced through him like a flaming blade but he bit back what he wanted to say. He deserved this. It was what he got for throwing her away in the first place. He would be the good partner and the good friend and let her go find another man even though it would shatter his heart. He knew that if he wanted to, he could easily find another woman but he didn't want to.

Nobody could match his Bones.

"Oh. Well, have fun." Booth said weakly with a false smile before refocusing on the road.

If he looked at her, he'd tell he loved her or just kiss her, things that she would never want from him.

If he had bothered to glance at her during the rest of the trip, he would've seen the look of frustrated disappointment on her face.

_**//////////////**_

_**What did you expect, Brennan? He doesn't see you as anything more than his friend and partner. He drew a line and he's sticking to it. You're just going to have to accept it.**_

Her heart didn't want to.

Even as she slid the slinky black dress over her head, she hoped for a knock on her office door. She hoped that he would come in and stop her. She hoped that he would confess to deeper feelings and then proceed to show her, causing any thoughts of dancing and blind dates to be eliminated for good. Yet, he didn't. She was going to go dancing with Angela and meet another man, another man that could never measure up to Seeley Booth. Even if she liked the guy and took him home for a sexual encounter, her mind would be on her partner.

Falling for him had been completely unplanned. It had snuck up on her. One moment, he's the arrogant rat bastard that she could barely understand and the next he was the…love of her life. Were it not for him, she would still be cut off from the world, hidden behind the shield of science and rationality she had built after her family left her. Booth was her liberator. He made her feel safe enough to let people in and to let emotions run their full course.

Hence her latest dilemma. Being in love was a challenge but unrequited love was a bitch.

"Hey, sweetie. You ready?" Angela greeted as she came into the office.

"Yeah.", Brennan replied unenthusiastically as she pulled on her long leather coat.

"Don't worry, Bren. Paul's really nice and a doctor. If you choke on a celery stick, he can give you the Heimlich."

"Great. I'll be sure to do that." Brennan said with more disdain than playful sarcasm.

Angela stopped buckling her stiletto long enough to look at her knowingly.

"Just try not to think about Booth, Bren. He'll get it together soon. Was he all jealous and Alpha Male like when you told him about tonight?"

"No. He was…accepting. He didn't even ask for the guy's name to do a background check. It was like he didn't even care."

"Oh, he cares, all right. He was looking at you like he wanted to coat with chocolate all day." Angela leered.

Brennan didn't want looks, she wanted _**action**_. She was sick of being in limbo but what could she do? Booth had drawn The Line so logically, _**he**_ should be the one to erase it. It was **_his_** stupid idea, not hers! Besides, she didn't want to put it all on the ground (or was it table?) and be rejected. The idea of losing his friendship was too horrible to entertain, not to mention their partnership.

Keeping her feelings a secret was logical.

Keeping her feelings a secret was torture.

_**//////////////**_

It had a while since he had gone to a club.

Some things hadn't changed. Smoke still drifted like fog, drinks still flowed like a river, and there were at least 3 scantily clad minors at the bar, "maturely" ordering rum and coke. The club was so off the beaten path that the bartender stopped caring. Business was business.

Booth sat at a corner table, watching the bump and grind of the dance floor. Numerous women were eyeing him like he was a prime cut of beef but he couldn't muster up an ounce of interest in any of them. All he could think about was Bones. What club did Angela drag her to? What dress did she have on? Was there a body in the wall? Was the guy she was meeting treating her right?

He regretted not getting a name for a background check. He was trying to give her space and to let her be happy but damn it, what if she was with some reformed axe murderer or something? She had a right to know!

_**Now, why couldn't you have that attitude a few years ago, hmm? She had a right to know that you're ass over heels for her then, didn't she?**_

In response to the caustic voice in his head, he downed the rest of the beer and signaled the waitress to bring another, which she did promptly. She was a busty blonde and obviously interested in bringing more than a beer to the table.

"What's the matter, sugar? You look so down…" she cooed as she leaned forward enough to give him a bird's eye view of her breasts.

_**Bones' are better…and real,**_ the voice helpfully informed him, causing him to turn his head away.

"Cat got your tongue, honey?"

The sudden appearance of a man saved him from replying. He came from the other side of the dance floor, seeming to be thrown. The only person he could think of doing that in a club (other than a bouncer) was Bones. God, he wished she was here….

As if his mind had conjured her up, a spitting mad Temperance Brennan picked the coughing blonde up by the neck and gave him a firm, ball busting knee to the groin, causing a collective groan to rise from the gawking crowd. The man collapsed in a twitching heap and Booth was entranced by the fierce fire in her eyes. He had seen it before when dealing with cases but never in this context. She looked like a lioness ready to vanquish. Any other man would be scared shitless.

Booth was just turned on.

"Thank you for a _**lovely **_evening, you sorry sack of manure!" she sneered as the tool began to limp away.

"Sorry sack of _**shit**_, Bones." he unconsciously corrected, causing her to look at him.

The fire softened but didn't fade completely away as she retorted, "Manure sounds classier. After all, I'm supposed to be a delicate, naïve little flower."

"More like a Venus Flytrap. Come sit with me, I'll buy you a drink."

_**//////////////**_

One drink turned into another and another and soon they were talking and laughing just like they used to before everything changed.

Angela had found them and said that she was heading home to Hodgins. By the tone of her voice and body language, Brennan surmised that she was heading home to have sex with Hodgins. She hadn't realized that she had shared her conclusion with them until Sam Adams sprayed out of Booth's nose and Angela nearly broke her in two in a giggling hug.

"Don't ever change, sweetie…_although, not all change is bad!_" she finished in a whisper with a look at a coughing/laughing/complaining Booth.

It made her rethink her standing on her non-relationship with Booth. Okay, yes, he had drawn The Line and yes, he had made no move to erase it but she had come to a different conclusion as to why. It wasn't from lack of interest but from lack of information. He thought that she wanted him only as a friend and partner and that just was not true. She wanted him in every aspect of her life. She not only wanted to relieve her sexual urges with him but also be in a committed, monogamous relationship with him. She wanted to be his "girlfriend", for lack of a better term.

"So, what happened with Blondie?" he asked between bites of their shared chili cheese fries.

"I don't know what that…oh, you mean Paul, don't you?"

"Yeah, Drunk Bones.", he confirmed with a chuckle.

"I'm not drunk. As for Paul, he was nice to me but we had a major obstacle in the way of a connection."

"Which was?"

"His wife. He answered his phone without looking and I could hear her yelling through the phone in Spanish. She called him a _**maldito imbécil incumplidores que mejor conocen un buen abogado, **_which loosely translates to 'fucking deadbeat asshole who better know a good lawyer'. Needless to say, I was quite disgusted with him, as was Angela which led to me practicing my human discus skills."

"Yeah, that was awesome. Definite Olympic material. You deserve better than assholes like that, Bones."

He always said things like that, things were sweet and heavy but easily ignored if they chose for it to be. She didn't want it to be. Not this time. Angela was right. Something had to give.

"Explain.", she prompted.

"What?"

"You said that I don't deserve assholes. Explain to me what sort of man I _**do**_ deserve so I can go find one."

"Are you serious, Bones? I mean, you're drunk and all…" he stalled.

"I'm _**not**_ drunk, Booth. The food I've consumed has helped metabolize the alcohol I've drank, I'm not nauseous, I can see clearly and I know that if I got up right now, I could easily turn you into a discus but I don't _**want**_ that. I _**want**_ an answer from you. What kind of man do I actually deserve?"

His jaw clenched and he looked away from her, towards the dance floor. After a moment, a deep sigh escaped her and she shook her head. Of course he wouldn't answer her, all because of his stupid Line. He would change the subject and let yet another moment die between them, just to stay "safe". Even now, she was waiting for the deflection, either in the form of evasiveness or humor.

As always, he managed to surprise her.

"You deserve a man who will not immediately assume you're a piece of ass. You deserve a man who won't get all intimidated by the fact that your IQ is like 200…"

It was 187, actually but she bit back the correction. She wanted him to continue and he obviously wanted to continue because his words were coming faster and with more passion.

"You deserve a man who will let you be a bad ass and a girl all you want. You deserve someone that will treat you like an equal, not a Queen or June fuckin' Cleaver. You deserve someone smart, funny, and _**patient**_, because you really know how to work a nerve…"

Work a nerve must be yet another colloquialism for annoying people. Brennan knew that she had a tendency to do that but she had gotten better! Booth had helped!

"…and you deserve someone attractive. After all, if you're going to be with the guy then you've got to be able to look at him without wanting to hurl…"

She never had that problem with him. He was tall and perfectly structured. Every muscle was defined with the precision of Michelangelo and in perfect balance. His skin was a healthy tan and sometimes she felt as if she could drown in his big brown eyes. Every time he held her in a "guy hug", she ached because they felt so good together, like puzzle pieces or where bones met on a skeleton. And kissing him was certainly not incestuous at all, despite her claim to the contrary…

"Most of all, you just need a guy that you're comfortable opening up to. If two people can't talk about stuff that bothers them or secrets, then it just won't work." he concluded before taking a long pull of his beer.

She waited until he finished and then until he met her gaze, making sure she had his undivided attention as she stood up.

"You just described yourself, Booth. I agree with your assessment so for the love of your God and every other one, erase the goddamned Line and fully live up to your description."

_**//////////////**_

He didn't know if he was about to wake up or have a heart attack.

"Your Line counts as one of the worst ideas in modern history, right up there with the mullet and the attempt to convert America to the metric system. Now, I understand your reasoning for coming up with it. You don't want me to get hurt by a deranged individual. You also assume that I will flee from sort of monogamous relationship, which is true for anyone but you. So in an effort to eliminate a problem, you came up with The Line as a viable solution. I understand. The only problem is that it didn't work. People have still tried to kill me and it didn't do anything but cause us both a lot of unnecessary grief. Not to mention that we've dragged others into our mess. Cam, Sully, Sweets, just about everyone we deal with has been affected negatively in some way due to our inability to get our skulls out of our rectums and just _**be**_ together. I'm sick of being in…purgatory when it comes to us. Now, are you going to erase the damn thing or not?"

The tone of her voice, her body language, the way she was in his face, all reminded him of the Shooting Range. "Be a Cop", she said then. Now, she was saying, "Be a Man. Be _**my**_ Man."

Far be it from him to deny her anything…except for a gun permit.

Closing a hand around her wrist, he tugged her down and pressed his lips against hers. Her long fingers dug into his hair and both of them moaned as their tongues came together again. God, she was so sweet, even without the raspberry gum. Booth let her climb onto him like a cat and straddle him, cupping his face in both hands as she traced patterns over the roof of his mouth. He could feel heat sear his groin and he pulled away, looking at her with fevered eyes.

"Are you sure about…"

"Damn it Booth, yes!"

That was it for him. Standing up, he boldly slung her over his shoulder, expecting a kick to the groin and a lecture about being an Alpha male Neanderthal. Imagine his surprise when she giggled (Bones could _**giggle!**_) and smartly informed him that he better not leave her coat behind. It was a gift from Angela and she would very much appreciate it not being stolen…

He'd get the damned coat and then they would be leaving.

They had about half a dozen Laws of Physics to break.

_**//////////////**_

It was different than she expected.

Oh, it was good, _**astoundingly**_ good, but it was slower than she fantasized. Instead of attacking each other like feral dogs, they moved together fluidly, shedding clothes and sharing kisses like a choreographed dance. They would not be a quick and dirty fuck. They would make love, an idea that made her shiver with anticipation and need. His hands inflamed her like a match to gasoline and she delighted in every deep groan, every shiver that her touch elicited.

A particularly heavy groan made her smile and continue her current ministrations. She had dreamt about tasting his cock, about feeling it in her mouth and about pleasuring him until he burst. Before he could protest, she did just that, causing her iron headboard to clang as he gripped it for dear life. Swirling her tongue over the head, she lapped at the drops of clear fluid seeping from him, darting into the source.

One hand left the headboard and she was able to see again, her hair out of her eyes. His eyes were heavily lidded with passion and he tenderly stroked her cheek, encouraging her to go deeper. Brennan took a deep breath and relaxed her throat muscles, taking him in to the hilt. Her hand slid down between her legs, stoking the fire there.

"Baby.", he groaned as she moaned around his shaft. "Baby, I'm gonna…Temperance, _**please**_…" He lost it. The hand on her jaw held her still as he finally succumbed to pleasure. She met him halfway as his hips spasmed and lightly grazed her teeth against him. He shattered with a hungry moan and she drank deeply of his release, relishing the flavor of him on her tongue as she licked him clean.

Pulling away, she saw that he was lightly trembling and he had thrown an arm over his eyes, emphasizing the definition and firmness of his muscles. FB-Eye Candy, indeed!

"Seeley?"

"Give me a minute. I think you killed me.", he rumbled as his breath returned to normal.

"If you're dead, then how are you talking to me?"

"I'm a zombie."

"Like Jesus?" she teased, causing a sated version of his Charm Smile to curve his lips.

"Bones, Jesus is not a zombie. He is the savior of humanity. Come here."

_**//////////////**_

He had always had an oral fixation.

He just didn't feel right unless was something in his mouth. That was why he had a stash of suckers and gum in his desk. That was why he had been a nail biter. That was why he chewed on his (and her) pen caps and that was why he was kissing steadily down her body. Well, that and it was sexy as all hell to hear her whimper.

A breathless cry escaped her as his tongue touched her for the first time and he groaned. She tasted like honey and baked pineapple and just about every delicious thing he could think of. Bringing his hands firmly down on her hips, he long licked her, plunging his tongue deep into her tight warmth. Bones gasped and immediately brought her hand to his head, taking him hostage between her thighs.

He was a very willing captive.

Booth was determined to make up for lost time. He waned to show her that he was sorry for pushing her away and that he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Finding her clit, he closed his lips around it and suckled ardently, causing her to cry out as if she were being shocked.

"That's it, baby…come for me…" he urged as her creams thickened and her walls began to jerk.

"D-don't call me baby…" she gritted out.

"Why not?" he rumbled as he tipped her even closer to his greedy mouth.

"B-because it is a demeaning, ah…in-infantile…._**ohh**_…"

He smirked and continued tracing numbers and letters over her clit, delighted that he had found a surefire way to shut her up. She was whimpering again and panting, squirming in his grip. Looking up into her stormy blue eyes, he lightly bit her throbbing clit, making her go mad.

A high, piercing howl ripped out of her and he drank deeply of her creams, devouring her like a feast. Her screams echoed through the bedroom and a smug, Alpha Male smirk curved his lips as she went limp under him, mindlessly whimpering his given name.

He had just made Dr. Temperance Brennan, the Queen of the Squints and his heart, come.

He was on top of the world.

_**//////////////**_

She gasped as he entered her to the hilt, stretching long unused muscles and sending electricity all through her body.

She could not look away from his gaze, his deep fevered blissful gaze. His lips brushed against hers lightly, kissing away tears that she had been unaware of. Why was she crying? Why was he crying? Instinctively, she wiped them away from his cheeks and as always, he picked up on her question.

"They're happy tears, Bones. I'm happy because I'm finally with you in the way I've wanted to be since I met you."

"I thought you h-hated me.", she moaned as he began to move slowly, brushing against every little spot she had.

"No. Y-you confused me and…and tap danced on my last left nerve but I…I never hated you. I could never- oh, _**god!**_"

Delighted by his reaction, she swiveled her hips again, sending him impossibly deeper. His shaking arms gave out and sent him fully on top of her, fusing them fully together. Sinking her teeth into his left deltoid, she held onto him for dear life, yielding to him fully as he moved deep and fast. A yelp of pained pleasure escaped her as his teeth sank into her jugular, marking her in a place no top or makeup could hide. It was a clear sign of Alpha Male behavior but she didn't want to scold him.

She wanted to be marked as his. She wanted everyone to know that she was his partner, his best friend, his Bones. She wanted to be the woman by his side at night when the nightmares came. She wanted to be the woman who took care of him when he was ill or pulled him back from the edge of madness. She wanted to be beside him as long as humanly possible, until a bullet or old age took him away.

Temperance Brennan loved Seeley Booth ands that trumped any amount of logic or rationality.

Her body could no longer take the passionate pounding he was giving it and she could feel a series of explosions erupt in her body, causing her to throw her head back and scream into the night her pleasure, her satisfaction, her love…

A roar worthy of a lion joined her wails and she locked her legs tightly around his pistoning hips, moaning as shot after shot of his seed coated her clenching walls. His breath was fast and deep, strangled with passion as he came long and hard. Brennan cupped his face and pressed coaxing kisses to his lips, wanting his tongue. He did so with no hesitation and they sank into her mattress, sated and content. After a while, they just lay there looking at each other, flat on their backs and tangled in the bedding.

"Hi.", she greeted with a silly smile.

Booth chuckled and took her hand, pressing kisses to her knuckles.

"Hi."

"You were right, you know? About the difference between sex and making love? What we just did was not sex. It was something much more substantial…and satisfying."

"Damn right it was." he rumbled with a wolfish grin.

"Alpha Male."

"_**Your**_ Alpha Male." Booth replied as he pressed light kisses to her offered throat.

"No more lines?" she questioned for good measure.

"Bones, if I ever come up with another line, I want you to shoot me. Don't even let me finish the sentence, just shoot me. Don't kill me, though."

"No promises."


End file.
